Card shuffling device



Nov. 7, 1 3 c. T. SKILLMAN ET AL CARD SHUFFLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 11, 1950 Claude Z Ski/Iman Mitchell Kisfner JNVENTORS BYM56109 fiM Nov. 17, 1953 c. T. SKILLMAN ET AL CARD SHUFFLING DEVICEINVENTORJ" and 8m Patented Nov. 17, 1953 CARD SHUFFLING DEVICE Claude T.Skillman and Mitchell Kistner, Santa Maria, Calif.

Application May 11, 1950, Serial No. 161,296

3 Claims.

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in card handlingdevices, and more particularly pertains to a card shufiling orintermixing device.

An important object of this invention is to provide a card handlingdevice which will separate a single card from a stack of cards, in amore facile, and economical manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide a card handling devicewhich will alternately separate a single card from each of two separatestacks of cards, and deposit the separated cards in a common container.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved means fordriving individual card separators in timed relation to each other.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a card shufilingdevice which is of simple construction, yet durable and efiicient forthe purposes intended.

An important feature of this invention resides in the provision of meansfor urging a card parallel to the stack of cards by moving it laterallyover a discharge opening whereby an outer card is passed through theopening.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a cardshuffling device, in accordance with the foregoing objects, in which themeans for shifting the stack of cards laterally over a discharge zonewhile urging an outer card downwardly, also serves to drive a secondcard separating device.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features, areattained by this device, a preferred form of which has been illustratedby way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevational view of the card shuffling device;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially onthe plane (-l3 of Figure 2 and showing the details of the rollerconstruction; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the card shufilingdevice.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings whereinlike numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, itwill be seen that there is provided a card shuilling device indicatedgenerally by the numeral H} which consists of a casing having side wallsl2, end walls It and a pair of inter-related card separating mechanismsl5.

As each of the card separating mechanisms are substantially inverselysymmetrical, it will be necessary to describe but one such mechanism, itbeing understood that the other mechanism is driven in timed relation tothe first mechanism, in a manner more fully set forth hereinafter. Eachmechanism consists generally of a pair of vertically aligned upper andlower rollers l8 and 29 respectively, which rollers are rotatablyjournaled in the side walls I2 of the casing, and extend substantiallytransversely thereof. For this purpose the rollers I 8 and 20 are eachprovided with trunnions 22 which are rotatably received in bores 24 inthe side walls 1 2. It is intended that each of the rollers l8 and 26 beprovided with registering longitudinally spaced peripheral grooves 26,each of which grooves, as is more readily apparent from a considerationof Figure 3 of the drawings, receives an upper and lower rollerencircling belt 28.

Secured to, and formed integrally with the belt 28, is a raised layersurface which extends substantially one-half the length of the belt.

A horizontally extending support member 32 is secured in any desiredmanner to the side and end walls 12 and I4 respectively, and terminatessubstantially coplanar with the plane defined by the outermost edges ofthe upper and lower rollers l8 and 20 respectively. The support member32 is formed with a slot 34 therein, which slot is spaced inwardly fromthe inner edge of support member 32 a distance substantially equal tothe distance layer surface 30 extends over the periphery of the rollersl3 and 20.

A backing plate 35 is transversely movably mounted between the sidewalls [2 and the card handling device H3, and is adapted to urge a stackof cards indicated generally by the numeral 38 into engagement with therollers i8 and 29. For this purpose there is provided a coil spring tilwhich is terminally anchored on the backing plate 3t, and the end wall il, the coil spring being secured in any desired manner to the mid pointof the backing plate. Suitable handles 32 may be secured to the backingplate, and may take the form of the U-shaped hook clearly shown inFigure 1 of the drawings, and provide a means whereby the backing platemay be laterally moved away from the rollers to permit the insertion ofa stack of cards 38.

It will thus be seen that the spring 46 urges the backing plateyieldingly against the stack of cards 38, whereby the latter arelaterally compressed against the periphery of the wheels l8 and 28 whichwheels are preferably formed of a smooth material, such as plastic orthe like. When one of the wheels is rotated, and the belt 28, andconsequently the raised layer 30 also moves, it will be seen, byreference to Figure 4 of the drawings, that the raised layer 38 contactsthe stack of cards 33 and laterally shifts the upper end of the cardstowards the end wall l4. However, since the stack of cards is laterallycompressed, the cards which lie intermediate the rollers and the backingplate cannot slip through the discharge slot 34, but rather remain infrictional engagement with an adjacent card. The outermost card whichcontacts the rollers l8 and 26 cannot be urged through the dischargeslot 34 in that the outer card such as A l, abuts against the support32. However, as the belt 28 and the raised layer 3!) advance, the stackof cards 38 will pivotally swing about a center point when the leadingedge 46 of the raised layer 36 passes the center point of the coilspring it. Since the raised layer 30 is preferably formed of rubber orother resilient material, it will be urging the outer card downwardly sothat when the outer card passes the discharge slot 36. as the entirestack 38 is moved laterally over the slot, the outer card will passthrough the slot.

The rollers l8 and of the second card separating device are also mountedtransversely of the side walls 12 and are preferably positioned paralleland adjacent to the rollers IS and of the first card separating deviceso that the raised layer or the belt 25 of each of the card separatingdevices will cyclically and alternately contact the belt of the othercard separating device. Thus, when one or" the rollers such as 2% isrotated by means of a crank 48 which is drivingly attached to thetrunnion 22 thereof, both of the rollers will be driven in timedrelation to each other, the raised layer 30 of one of the belts being atall times going between the adjacent rollers so as to. maintain adriving engagement between the two. Hence, as previously stated theraised layer as extends through substantially one-half of the length ofeach of the belts, minor adjustments and alignment of the belts will beautomatically compensated since the leading edge 26 of one of the beltswill contact the trailing edge on the other belt as the belts passthrough their cyclic operation.

A common receptacle 5?. is positioned below the card separatingmechanisms, and may conveniently consist of a drawer having a base plate54 or the like, which is positioned in the lower part of the casing, asuitabl knob 56 being provided by means of which the receptacle 52 ismoved from the card handling device. To provide a more compact stack ofintermixed cards, it is intended that the receptacle 52 be dimensionedas to loosely receive the cards when lying in horizontal position.

In order to guide the cards as they are dropped through the dischargeslot 3:3, the end walls of the card handling device are provided withdownwardly and inwardly extending guide members 58, which membersterminate in vertical alignment with the. side [6 of thercceptacle 52.In order to prevent the cards from turning over as they are dropped intothe receptacle 52, it is intended that the central part of the cardhandling device be provided with downwardly and. outwardly extendingguide plates 62, which guide plates may be conveniently secured to theinner ends of the support member 32 and terminate slightly above thesupport members so as to provide a retaining flange 64. It is obviouslyde sirable that the distance between the end walls l4, and the guideplate 62 be such that at all times it is less than the width of thecards, so that turning over of the cards in the chute is therebyprevented. A pair of relatively converging plates 66 may be secured tothe lower ends of the guide plate 62, the plate 62 further serving toguide the cards as they fall towards the receptacle 52.

As best shown in FigureZ of the. drawings, that portion of the cardhandling device which lies below the guide members 58 may be suitablyapertured as at 68 to permit the insertion of the removable cardcontainer 10 which may be pivotally or slidably mounted on the lowerportion of the card handling device [0. Obviously, if the containers 79are pivotally mounted to the base 12 of the card handling device as bythe hinge T4, the inner wall ll; of the container '10 may convenientlyform a guideway, which, in conjuction with the inner end of the othercontainer will laterally guide the slidably mounted card receptacle 52.As is conventional, suitable rods 18 may be provided on the container 10to permit the opening thereof.

In operation, the crank 48, or other suitable driving means, is utilizedto rotate one of the rollers. The second set of rollers is then drivenin timed relation to the first set of rollers, by means of theaforementioned raised layer 30 which alternately serves as a cardseparating means and as a rollerdriving means, the belts of therespective card separating mechanisms being 50 arranged that when one ofthe raised layers 39 of one of the units is separatinga card from astack of cards, the raised layer of the other unit is in contact withthe belt of the first mentioned unit, and vice versa.

Thus, the cards are separated from first one stack, and then from theother stack, each of the cards being deposited in the common receptacle52, so that a common stack. is. formed of cards of alternately thefirstv and-second stacks.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the operation and construction ofthe device will be readily understood, and further discussion isbelieved to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications willreadily occur to those skilled in the art after consideration of theforegoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended tolimit the invention to that shown and described, but all suitablemodifications being resorted to falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A card shufiling device comprising a casing, first and second cardseparators mounted in said casing, each of said separators including apair of vertically aligned rollers rotatably mounted transversely ofsaid casing, a plurality of endless belts carried by each of said pairsof rollers, a raised layer extending outwardly fromv a. portion of. saidbelts, first and second card stack supports positioned below said pairsof rollers respectively, said card stack supports each being adapted toreceive the edge of a. pack of cards, each ofv said supports having acard discharge slot therein, a resilient device yieldingly urging saidstacks of cards against the outer sides of said pairs. of rollers, meansfor driving said rollers, said yielding means urging said stacks ofcards to a position where the cards adjacent said rollers are inward ofsaid slots, said raised layer contacting the card adjacent said pair ofrollers and urging said card toward the associated support while movingsaid stack laterally over the slot in said support, the thickness ofeach of the raised layers being equal to the distance from the outersurface of the belts adjacent the rollers to the inner edge of therespective slots, means for operating said first and second cardseparators in timed relation to each other, a receptacle in said casing,means for guiding the discharged cards from each of said separators intosaid receptacle.

2. A card shuffling device comprising a casing, first and second cardseparators mounted in said casing, each of said separators including apair of vertically aligned rollers rotatably mounted transversely ofsaid casing, a plurality of endless belts carried by each of said pairsof rollers, said rollers having peripheral grooves therein, said beltsbeing received in said grooves, a raised layer extending outwardly froma portion of said belts, first and second card stack supports positionedbelow said pairs of rollers respectively, said card stack supports eachbeing adapted to receive the edge of a pack of cards, each of saidsupports having a card discharge slot therein, a resilient deviceyieldingly urging said stacks of cards against the outer sides of saidpairs of rollers, means for driving said rollers, said yielding meansurging said stacks of cards to a position where the cards adjacent saidrollers are inward of said slots, said raised layer contacting the cardadjacent said pair of rollers and urging said card toward the associatedsupport while moving said stack laterally over the slot in said support,the thickness of each of the raised layers being equal to the distancefrom the outer surface of the belts adjacent the rollers to the inneredge of the respective slots, means for operating said first and secondcard separators in timed relation to each other, a receptacle in saidcasing, means for guiding the discharged cards from each of saidseparators into said receptacle.

3. A card shuffling device comprising a casing, first and second cardseparators mounted in said casing, each of said separators including apair of vertically aligned rollers rotatably mounted transversely ofsaid casing, a plurality of endless belts carried by each of said pairsof rollers, said pairs of rollers being arranged in spaced parallelposition in said casing, a raised layer extending outwardly from aportion of said belts, the raised layers on the belts of said separatorsbeing successively in driving engagement with the belts of the otherseparator for operating said first and second card separators in timedrelation to each other, first and second card stack supports positionedbelow said pairs of rollers respectively, said card stack supports eachbeing adapted to receive the edge of a pack of cards, each of saidsupports having a card discharge slot therein, a resilient deviceyieldingly urging said stacks of cards against the outer sides of saidpairs of rollers, means for driving said rollers, said yielding meansurging said stacks of cards to a position Where the cards adjacent saidrollers are inward of said slots, said raised layer contacting the cardadjacent said pair of rollers and urging said card toward the associatedsupport while moving said stack laterally over the slot in said support,the thickness of each of the raised layers being equal to the distancefrom the outer surface of the belts adjacent the rollers to the inneredge of the respective slots, whereby the card adjacent the raisedportion is moved through the slot, a receptacle in said casing, meansfor guiding the discharged cards from each of said separators into saidreceptacle.

CLAUDE T. SKILLIVLAN. MITCHELL KISTNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 526,282 Yeates Sept. 18, 1894 584,007 Moehn et a1 June 8, 18971,014,219 Hall Jan. 9, 1912 1,998,690 Shepherd et a1. Apr. 23, 19352,159,958 Sachs May 23, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,427Great Britain 1891 183,739 Germany Apr. 2, 1907 289,552 Great BritainApr. 30, 1928

